Connector housing



p 1967 H. HENDEE 3,344,393

CONNECTOR HOUSING Filed Aug. 13, 1965 HOWARD R HEA/0E5 United States Patent 3,344,393 CONNECTOR HOUSING Howard R. Hendee, 193 Six Mile Road, Comstock Park, Mich. 49321 Filed Aug. 13, 1965, Ser. No. 479,395 2 Claims. (Cl. 33975) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A housing for an electrical connector of the type commonly associated with extension cords which will transfer tension from the connected sections of wire around the connector components, and will also shield the components against accidental contact of other possibly conductive articles to prevent shorting.

This invention provides a housing for an electrical connector of the type commonly associated with extension cords. It is a common and exasperating experience for a workman to find that the power to his machine has been cut off by someone stumbling over the wire and separating a connector. It is very desirable that some arrangement be made to hold the connector components together, rather than rely merely on the friction of the engagement of the conductor prongs. The danger of having partially or completely exposed conductors is also a safety problem.

This invention provides a device which will transfer tension from the connected sections of wire around the connector components, and will also shield the components against accidental contact of other possibly conductive articles to prevent shorting. The connector components are also elevated somewhat from the floor or ground surface, and thus kept clear of small pools or accumulations of Water or oil.

Housings for these purposes are not broadly new, and various arrangements of the clam shell type have been devised and equipped with different forms of clamping devices for engaging the wire sections on both sides of a connector. These clamping devices have not been particularly satisfactory, however, and have lacked either simplicity or effectiveness. The preferred form of this invention generates a clamping action by engaging the wire sections between deformable blocks of rubber-like ma terial as the housing components are closed. The several features of the invention will be analyzed in further detail through a discussion of the particular embodiments illustrated in the accompanying drawing. In the drawing:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view showing a housing embodying the preferred form of this invention, in the closed condition engaging connected sections of Wire.

FIGURE 2 is a section on the plane 22 of FIG- URE 1.

FIGURE 3 is a section on the plane 3-3 of FIG- URE 1.

FIGURE 4 is an axial section on a somewhat enlarged scale showing the interior arrangement of the device illustrated in FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 5 is a plan view of the housing components opened preparatory to receiving the wire sections and the connector components.

Referring to the drawing, the illustrated connector housing includes the relatively moveable enclosure com- 3,344,393 Patented Sept. 26, 1967 ponents 10 and 11 hinged together at 12. Preferably, the enclosure components are molded from a suitable plastic material in one piece, with the hinged portion 12 being in communication between the two sections which mold the portions 10 and 11. The section 10' is also molded with a hook-shaped extension shown at 13 which engages the shelf 14 integral with the enclosure component 11 to provide a latch holding the two components in the closed condition. The enclosure components 10- and 11 are substantially halves of an annular configuration, and each contain recesses as shown at 15-18 to define access openings for receiving the wire sections 19 and 20. The openings 1516 and 17-18 are essentially semi-cylindrical, and are disposed directly opposite each other to form the access openings as the enclosure components 10 and 11 come together about the hinge 12.

The enclosure component 10- is provided with the blocks 21 and 22 of resiliant rubber-like material which are mounted opposite the similar blocks 23 and 24, respectively, of the enclosure component 11. When the enclosure components are brought together, the action of these blocks is as shown in FIGURE 3. Clearance portions are provided as shown at 25 and 26 so that the blocks remain unsupported in this central area from a direction normal to the plane of separation of the enclosure components 10 and 11. This permits the blocks to deflect into the clearance spaces as the wire sections 19 and 20 are clamped in the relationship shown in FIGURE 4. With the wire sections 19 and 20 gripped in this fashion, and the housing secured by the latch components 13 and 14, possible tension in the wires 19 and 20 is transferred around the connector components 27 and 28 so that they do not separate and expose the prongs 29 and 30.

To minimize the danger of pinching the wire sections in the non-resillient portions of the housing, it is preferable to incorporate the projections 3134 as members molded integrally with the enclosure components 10 and 11. These projections extend across the plane of separation of the enclosure components, and form a barrier preventing movement of the wire toward the hinge area 12. Due to the fact that the projections 31 and 33 must pass the projections 32 and 34, they are displaced slightly with respect to each other, with the projections 31 and 33 being reinforced by web portions as shown at 35 and 36.

The particular embodiments of the present invention which have been illustrated and discussed herein are for illustrative purposes only and are not to be considered as a limitation upon the scope of the appended claims. In these claims, it is my intent to claim the entire invention disclosed herein, except as I am limited by the prior art.

I claim:

1. A connector housing for enclosing electrical connector components, and for transferring tension around said components, said housing comprising:

first and second relatively movable enclosure components, said components being closeable together to define a space, and said components also together defining each of a pair of access openings for receiving an electrical wire, at least one of said components having a block of resilient rubber-like material adjacent at least one of said access openings and disposed to apply a clamping action on a wire engaging said opening on closure of said enclosure components, said block of rubber-like material being 3 supported at the ends thereof, with the central portion unsupported in'a direction normal to the plane of separation of said enclosure components; and securing means for holding said enclosure components together.

2. A housing as defined in claim 1, wherein both of said enclosure components have blocks of resilient rubberlike material adjacent both of said access openings, the blocks on one of said enclosure components being aligned opposite the blocks on the other of said enclosure components.

4 References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,014,194 12/1961 Berglund 339--75 3,273,105 9/ 196 6 Klassen 339210 X FOREIGN PATENTS 495,192 4/ 1930 Germany.

MARVIN A. CHAMPION, Primary Examiner.

W. DONALD MILLER, Examiner.

I. H. MCGLYNN, Assistant Examiner. 

1. A CONNECTOR HOUSING FOR ENCLOSING ELECTRICAL CONNECTOR COMPONENTS, AND FOR TRANSFERRING TENSION AROUND SAID COMPONENTS, SAID HOUSING COMPRISING: FIRST AND SECOND RELATIVELY MOVABLE ENCLOSURE COMPONENTS, SAID COMPONENTS BEING CLOSEABLE TOGETHER TO DEFINE A SPACE, AND SAID COMPONENTS ALSO TOGETHER DEFINING EACH OF A PAIR OF ACCESS OPENINGS FOR RECEIVING AN ELECTRICAL WIRE, AT LEAST ONE OF SAID COMPONENTS HAVING A BLOCK OF RESILIENT RUBBER-LIKE MATERIAL ADJACENT AT LEAST ONE OF SAID ACCESS OPENINGS AND DISPOSED TO APPLY A CLAMPING ACTION ON A WIRE ENGAGING SAID OPENING ON CLOSURE OF SAID ENCLOSURE COMPONENTS, SAID BLOCK OF RUBBER-LIKE MATERIAL BEING SUPPORTED AT THE ENDS THEREOF, WITH THE CENTRAL PORTION UNSUPPORTED IN A DIRECTION NORMAL TO THE PLANE OF SEPARATION OF SAID ENCLOSURE COMPONENTS; AND SECURING MEANS FOR HOLDING SAID ENCLOSURE COMPONENTS TOGETHER. 